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Evonik launches the basic Planning for a Capacity Expansion for Hydrogen Peroxide in Europe

Realignment of European production sites

New logistics center in Weissenstein

Start of basic planning for an additional production line in Antwerp

As one of the leading manufacturers of hydrogen peroxide, Evonik is responding to the increasing demand for active oxygen. In addition to increasing production capacity, this also means providing more efficient and faster delivery to customers.

Hydrogen peroxide is used in many applications, two of these are pulp and textile bleaching because of its effective cleaning, bleaching characteristics and its environmentally benign properties.

To meet the steadily increasing customer demand, Evonik began an extensive program in 2017 to realign its existing four production sites in Europe: In addition to increasing the production capacity of existing plants, this also included the construction of a new logistics center at the Weissenstein site in Austria. Because of the associated business expansion that includes smaller packaging sizes and an expansion of its services, Evonik is now able to better meet the increasing demand for packaged goods even better and with additional flexibility.

Evonik is now preparing to set the next milestone. The company intends to start up an additional production line at its site in Antwerp by 2020 and has therefore decided to launch the necessary basic planning.

The new production line would increase Evonik’s production capacity in Antwerp by 50%.

With the above-mentioned measures Evonik is proactively responding to the increasing demands of the market.

"We are seeing a very high and continuous increase in demand for hydrogen peroxide in the marketplace, both in traditional applications such as the pulp industry, and in particular specialty applications such as food safety or in wastewater treatment, where hydrogen peroxide is a more environmentally friendly alternative to other chemicals", says Michael Träxler, Business Line Manager Active Oxygens. Susanne Reinhart, General Manager of Active Oxygens EMEA, adds: "Our goal is to meet the very diverse needs of our customers in the best possible way and work together with them on solution concepts for the future. We distinguish ourselves above all by our high delivery reliability and customer proximity. With the reorientation in Europe and the expansion of our production capacities, we are even better positioned to be able to answer a wide range of inquiries faster, more flexibly and we are even closer to our customers."

About Evonik

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-orientated innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.36 billion.

About Resource Efficiency

The Resource Efficiency segment is led by Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH and produces high performance materials and specialty additives for environmentally friendly as well as energy-efficient systems to the automotive, paints & coatings, adhesives, construction, and many other industries. This segment employed about 10,000 employees, and generated sales of around €5.4 billion in 2017.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.